Description
These festive Christmas Cheesecake Cookies are soft, flavorful, and beautifully marbled with red and green hues. Made with cream cheese and peppermint extract, they offer a delicious twist on classic sugar cookies perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Flavoring and Decoration
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking.
- Make cookie batter: Beat cream cheese and butter together at high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract for 1 minute until well combined.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this to the wet mixture and stir just until incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.
- Divide and chill dough: Separate the dough into three small bowls. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to firm it up for easier handling.
- Add color and peppermint: Once chilled, add red food coloring to one bowl, green food coloring and peppermint extract to another, and leave the third blank or add a small amount of vanilla extract if desired. Mix until evenly colored but still sticky. Refrigerate again for a few minutes if too sticky to handle.
- Form marbled cookies: Take ½ tablespoon from each colored dough and gently roll them together in your palms to create a marbled effect. Avoid over-mixing to maintain distinct colors. Place formed dough balls onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees F for 11 minutes. Cookies should be light in color and just beginning to brown on the bottom. Avoid overbaking to keep them soft and tender.
- Cool and finish: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to one week or freeze for up to three months for best freshness.
- For a more tart cheesecake flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or omit the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- Omitting the peppermint extract is an option, or it can be substituted with another flavor.
- Avoid overbaking as this can cause the cookies to become dry and biscuit-like rather than soft and creamy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
